FOR TREVOR AND EVER
Trevor Noah was voted coolest SA male screen star in the Sunday Times Generation Next youth survey for the fifth year running. Nikki Temkin quizzed him
What is coolness? The ability to make people feel good while being yourself. Who are the coolest people you know? Anele Mdoda, Xolisa Dyeshana, John Legend, my mom, Lionel Richie, Dave Chappelle, D’banj, Basketmouth, Lupita Nyong’o . . . to name a few. What do you miss about South Africa? The people and the potential. It’s easy to forget that we live in a young democracy. Sometimes it’s frustrating and sometimes it’s tough but we have so much potential to grow and shape the future of our country, which is not as easily done in older, more developed democracies. What inspires you? Seeing the joy I bring to others. Making somebody laugh or changing their day for the better is a gift that I’m reminded to cherish every day. I want to give as much as I can, so finding great charities and causes to work with is something I’m always striving for. Success for me is nothing if I don’t use it to help others. What’s in your fridge? Chicken. Nando’s peri-peri sauce. Blended juice. Water. Vegetables. Your favourite gadget? My phone. It connects me, it entertains me, it informs me, it reminds me. Your pet hate? Impatient people. Just relax. We’re all going to get where we’re going. How do you stay so relaxed? I travel and I spend time with friends. Travel is the antidote to ignorance and friendship is the rhythm of my soul. What are you afraid of? Of not living my life to the fullest. A lot of us are afraid of that. But life begins at the end of your comfort zone, so stop being afraid of failing and start being afraid of not trying. Being a bystander is safe but boring. No one ever tells a story about the bystander. Advice to young comedians? Just do you. Do what you find funny then find the people who find you funny. Your favourite humour topic? Racism. It’s so stupid and yet so pervasive. I love pointing out the hypocrisy and stupidity of racism. Complete the sentence, “America is . . .” … too complicated, insane and amazing to be described in one sentence. Is being famous in the US different from being famous in South Africa? Being famous in South Africa was just like you were friends with the entire country. It wasn’t crazy. That prepared me for a more insane world of fame. The Daily
Show has amplified it but it hasn’t changed dramatically. The upside to fame is the perks: a table at a restaurant that’s full, a free suit from a designer, fans and adulation. The downside is the erosion of your privacy: stalkers, paparazzi, tabloids lying about your life to sell stories. Thankfully I have real friends. How do you handle criticism? Friends and well-wishers I listen to and then try to be better. People who exist solely to criticise — haters — I try to ignore.